Thermostatic means for controlling toilet room fixtures



Nov. 28, 1961 w. G. FRANKE 3,919,119

THERMOSTATIC MEANS FOR CONTROLLING TOILET ROOM FIXTURES Filed March 9,1959 IN VEN TOR.

THEE/I0 GULB Fla.

3,010,119 THERMQSTATIC MEANS FOR CONTRGLLING TOILET ROOM FIXTURESWallace G. Franke, 803 S. Story St., Appleton, Wis. Filed Mar. 9, 1959,Ser. No. 797,915 3 Claims. (Cl. 4--249) This invention relates to athermostatic means for automatically operating flushing valves ofurinals and/ or water-closets.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a user operated automaticflushing system for urinals or watercloset fixtures whereby aconsiderable amount of water is saved. Such a system is entirelyautomatic. It is user operated without his knowledge and the systemremains deadgs long as nobody uses said toilet room fixtures. The systemthereby utilizes a minimum amount of water. This invention applies totoilet room fixtures such as urinals, water-closets, or the like.

An object of this invention is the provision of a thermostatic means forcontrolling a flushing system.

Another object is to provide a urinal or water-closet with temperatureresponsive means for controlling the flushing thereof.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of gaseousthermostat means including a remote sensing gaseous thermo bulb,associated with a urinal or watercloset fixture, for controlling theflushing of said urinal or water-closet fixtures.

Other specific objects and many of the attendant advantages of thisinvention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which likereference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereofand wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a front elevation of the invention as applied to a urinal;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side elevation of the invention, partly in section,as applied to a water-closet bowl;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the discharge outlet spudportion of the urinal shown in FIG. 1, showing the thermo bulb mountedtherein;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the built-in trap formingshell portion of the water closet bowl shown in FIG. 2, showing thesensing thermo bulb mounted on the lip thereof;

FIG. 5 is a wiring diagram of the circuited thermostatic switch timer,and flush valve motor-operator, said diagram showing the elementsthereof positioned at the commencement of a cycle of operation; and

FIG. 6 shows a modified circuit wherein the timer is omitted.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference charactersdesignate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,there is shown a urinal, generally indicated at 11, including at itslower end a discharge outlet or spud 12 having a flat metal strainer 13thereacross, and having a trap, not shown, communicating therewith.

A flush valve 14 operatively communicates with the upper portion of saidurinal 11 through means of flush connection pipe 15. Said flush valve 14is equipped with a motor-operator 15 to operate said flush valve 14.

Plush water is conducted to the flush valve 14, from a supply source notshown, through means of a supply pipe 17 controlled by a shutoff valve18.

A conventional gaseous thermostatic switch means, generally indicated at19, includes a remote gaseous thermo bulb 21, toroidal or ring shapedwhich is mounted in the spud 12 below the strainer 13 so as to exposethe thermo 3,@i@,ll9 Patented Nov. 28, 1961 bulb to the temperature ofwarm body urine as said urine flows through said spud and over saidbulb.

The spud wall is apertured to receive the threaded bulb stem 22therethrough. Nuts 23 and 24 are threadedly engaged on said stern, oneach side of the spud wall, and drawn tightly thereagainst, for rigidlysecuring said thermo bulb on said spud. Obviously, gasket means can beused adjacent said nuts to water seal said thermo bulb on said spud.

The thermo bulb 21 communicates with the bellows 25 of the thermostaticswitch through means of capillary tube 26.

The effect of the expansion of gas in the thermo bulb bellows system isutilized to expand and longitudinally extend said bellows and to actuatepivoted arm 27 for controlling enclosed snap switch 28. The expansion ofthe gas in the thermo bulb bellows system is an eflYect resulting fromthe change of temperature of said gas when said gaseous filled thermobulb 21 is subjected to the warm urine flowing thereover.

The thermostatic switch 19 is electrically connected to a timermechanism generally indicated at 29 through means of conductors 31 and32.

The timer mechanism 29 is of conventional construction, suitable for thepurpose, responsive to thermostatic switch 19 and operative to energizemotor-operator 16 with an electrical pulse of a short predeterminedduration following a long time delay interval of a predeterminedduration beginning with the closing of thermo static switch means 19,that is, beginning with a signal from said switch that the urinal isbeing used. It is preferred that the short pulse be about 4 seconds indura-' tion, while the time delay period be about 5 minutes in duration.

The closing of the snap switch 28 in the thermostat starts the timermotor 33 to operate for 5 minutes, after which the timer stops. However,just before the timer stops it closes an electric switch 34 and causes ashort pulse of electricity to energize the motor-operator 16 which inturn actuates the flush valve 14. The timer 29 is readily adjustable sothat the motor-operator is in tune with the timer. A short pulse isadequate to rotate the motor-operator and therefore trip the flushvalve.

The electrical output of the timer mechanism is fed to themotor-operator 16 through means of conductors 35 and 36.

The electrical input to the timer mechanism 29 is provided throughconductors 37 and 38 connected across an electrical supply potential 39of alternating current of volts and of 60 cycle frequency.

Operation Assume a starter position and relation of elements such asshown in FIG. 5. When a user uses the urinal, the warm body urine isconducted through the strainer 13 and into the spud 12 where some of itflows onto and over the thermo bulb 21 and thence is discharged fromsaid spud into a trap not shown.

The effect of the warm urine on the thermo bulb is to expand the gastherein. As a result of such gas expansion, bellows 25 is expanded andextended longitudinally upwardly, thereby actuating pivoted arm 27 toclose snap switch 28 and closing an initial electrical circuit throughtimer motor 33 and causing said motor to be energized and to rotate.

Mounted to be rotated by said timer motor 33 is a homing cam means 41having a sharp tooth 42. Said cam means 41 requires 5 minutes to makeone complete revolution.

As timer motor 33, and its associated homing cam 41, commence to rotate,poised switch armature 43 is released from cam tooth 42 thereby closingswitch means 44. This switch closing establishes a holding circuitthrough motor 33 and functions to maintain timer motor 33 energized andoperating for about minutes, even though the user walks away from theurinal and the initial circuit through the timer motor 33 is opened as aconsequence of the effect of the resulting temperature drop change onthe gas in the thermo bulb 21.

After the lapse of said 5 minutes of motor operation, the cam tooth 42engages switch armature 43 and actuates it into an open poised posiiton,at Whichinstant the timer motor stops, completing a cycle of operation.

Motor-operator cam 45, mounted to rotate with homing cam 41, is likewiseprovided with a sharp tooth 46. Said cam 46 closes switch 34 for about 4seconds just before timer motor is stopped, thereby energizingmotor-operator 16 with a 4 second pulse to operate and actuate flushvalve 14. The 4 second pulse if sufficiently long to produce onecomplete operation of the motor-operator 16 and therefore trip and openthe flush valve 14.

FIG. 2 shows a water-closet bowl 47 having mounted thereon a flush valve48 controlled by a motor-operator 49. Said bowl is provided with abuilt-in trap, although a water-closet having separate trap means isalso contemplated within the scope of this invention.

A conventional gaseous thermostatic switch means 50, such as generallyindicated diagrammatically at 19, FIG. 5, includes a remote gaseousthermo bulb 51 mounted in the lip 52 of the trap forming shell generallyindicated at 54, of said bowl 47. Said shell lip is apertured to receivea rubber gasket sleeve 53 in which is press fit the thermo bulb 51 forseal purpose. The bulb is preferably, though not necessarily, disposedabout one inch below the normal bowl water-line.

The communicating capillary tube 55 is directed upwardly within theshell interior, thence downwardly through the hollow structure of thebowl 47, thence through the bottom of said bowl, and to bellows inthermostat 50. V The output of said thermostat 50 is fed into a timermechanism 56, such as indicated diagrammatically at 29, FIG. 5, and theoutput from the timer mechanism 56 is fed into motor-operator 49.

The electrical input to the timer 56 is supplied through means of supplypotential 57 being alternating current of 115 volts and of 60 cyclefrequency.

In view of the fact that the elements and circuitry for the bowl of FIG.2 is the same as the elements and circuitry for the urinal of FIG. 1,the operation thereof is the same as described above for said urinalarrangement, and therefore will not be repeated.

If desired the timer mechanism can be omitted from the circuit and thethermostat switch means connected directly to the motor-operator therebycausing operation of the flush valve immediately upon the temperatureresponsive bulb means being thermally effected, see FIG. 6 diagram. Inthis modified circuit a thermostat switch 58 and a flush valvemotor-operator 59 are connected in series with electric supply source61. A thermo bulb 4 62, mounted and disposed such as thermo bulb 21 inFIG. 1 or thermo bulb 52 in FIG. 2, communicates with a bellows 63 foractuating switch 58 thereby energizing flush valve motor operator 59.

Some characteristic features of this invention are temperatureresponsive means for automatiaclly operating flushing means for aurinal; the provision of a remote sensing gaseous thermo bulb, disposedin a urinal, for automatically operating flushing means for said urinal;and the provision of thermostatic means for automatically controllingthe flushing system of a water-closet.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the inventionmay 3;

practice-d otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. A water-closet provided with hollow interior structure, andtemperature responsive means associated with said Water-closet, saidtemperature responsive means being disposed in said water-closet to beaffected by the temperature of excrement discharged in saidwater-closet, and said temperature responsive means extending into saidhollow interior structure for connection with exterior means.

2. A water-closet provided with a hollow trap forming shell, and a wallof said shell being apertured at the normal water line in saidwater-closet, and temperature responsive means associated with saidwater-closet, said temperature responsive means being received in saidaperture and extending into said hollow trap forming shell forconnection with external means.

3. A water-closet provided with a hollow trap forming shellcommunicating with hollow interior structure in said water-closet, saidhollow interior structure communicating with the atmosphere throughmeans of an opening in the bottom of said water-closet, a wall of saidshell being apertured at the normal water line in said water-closet, andtemperature responsive means associated with said water-closet, saidtemperature responsive means comprising a sensing element andtransmitting means connected thereto for transmitting the temperatureefiects of said sensing element, said sensing element being received insaid aperture, and said transmitting means extending in said hollow trapforming means, in said interior structure, and in said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS702,536 Bunting June 17, 1902 1,441,007 Littlefield Jan. 2, 19231,532,905 Lawler Apr. 7, 1925 1,942,269 Davies et a1 Jan. 2, 19342,041,962 Robertson May 26, 1936 2,635,691 Filliung Apr. 21, 19532,649,591 McRae Aug. 25, 1953

